The new season starts for Barwell on Saturday 14th August with an away trip to East Suffolk to face Lowestoft Town. This will be the first competitive game for the Canaries since October 2020 and, with everything that has happened since that trip to Rushall Olympic, it will just be good to see league football again. We hope that everyone is safe, healthy and well and that football can provide a lot of joy again this year.

Lowestoft were the opponents for Barwell in the first game of the aborted 2020/2021 season. That game was in Leicestershire at the UK Flooring Direct Stadium and the visitors won it 2-1. This time the game is on the Suffolk coast at the Crown Meadow ground and both sides will be looking to get off to a winning start.

New signings Joel Carta and Osebi Adabaki will be looking to make their mark on the game, having both impressed in pre-season. Guy Hadland will also be able to pick from a number of those players who have been around in the recent curtailed seasons including captain Brady Hickey. Dom Brown-Hill has also returned to the club and could line up in a strong looking midfield alongside the captain, Carta and Michah Edwards. Guy Hadland may also make one or two more signings before Saturday as he looks to finalise the squad.

It has been a slightly disrupted pre-season for the Canaries with one friendly cancelled due to Covid and the lack of a home base. This will be the first of a run of away games for Barwell due to the Kirkby Road pitch being converted to a 3G surface. The pitch is expected to be completed around mid-October but the first home game may not be until early November. However, the tenacious spirit that has so often defined Barwell teams down they years will be back on display and Guy Hadland's men will be sure to be battling for every point - starting on Saturday in Suffolk.

Lowestoft are always tough to play against and Saturday will be no exception. They have also had a slightly disrupted pre-season with a couple of friendlies that were cancelled. However, with recent signings such as Sam Johnson and a win against Kirkley & Pakefield in their last pre-season game, they will be looking to make a winning start at home in the new season.

The game kicks off at 3pm at Crown Meadow, Love Road, Lowestoft, NR32 2PA.

A coach is leaving Barwell at 09.00 and fans are welcome to travel. The return from Lowestoft will be c17.45 with an estimated arrival back at Kirkby Road of 21.30. The cost is £10.

Entrance to the game is £11 for adults, £8 for over 60s and £2 for Under 16s.